Boyle missed Game 1 with an undisclosed injury and played 10:57 over 14 shifts in Game 2, a couple minutes below his average in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He participated in the Lightning's optional morning skate Wednesday for the first time as a new father. Boyle's wife, Lauren, gave birth to Declan Gabriel Boyle on Tuesday.

"It was an interesting day," Boyle said. "The team was awesome getting me back so I could get to the hospital early [Tuesday] morning. Everything is good and it's a great blessing."

Declan Boyle weighed in at nine pounds and five ounces. Boyle said that mother and son are doing well.

"She's a trooper," Boyle said of his wife. "She handled planning our wedding during the playoffs last year and handled the third trimester and having a baby this year. She's a real special person. I'm really lucky."

Boyle flew back to Tampa immediately after Game 2 and has spent much of the past 24 hours enjoying all the things that come with parenthood.

"When I first heard him it was really emotional, when I first saw him I was petrified I guess," Boyle said. "But after that it was just joy. Holding him, being around him. When he sneezed it was like the cutest thing I've ever seen."

As for the business of hockey, Boyle said he is feeling better and should be good to play in Game 3 at Amalie Arena on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).

"I tried to go in Game 1 and if I could have played I would have played, obviously I wanted to play," Boyle said. "It was really frustrating not to be out there."

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said he was happy to have Boyle back and close to full health. He said it's important for the Lightning to maintain continuity at this level and having the leadership that a veteran like Boyle provides is crucial.

AT THE RINK: RANGERS

"We try not to get too down or too high after each game and the leadership core here really makes everyone's job easier," Stamkos said. "For me personally going through the first run [in 2011], I never knew what to expect and I was a little nervous realizing how close I was. Now the mentality isn't how close you are but how much work is left to be done and that makes it a little easier to focus on the next game."

Status report: The Lightning had full participation for the optional morning skate. ... Coach Jon Cooper would not confirm if he was going with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. The Lightning have won five of six games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with that alignment. ... Cooper said moving Stamkos to the wing helps keep him from spending too much time in the defensive zone.

Who's hot: Johnson had a hat trick in Game 2, the first in Lightning playoff history. ...Kucherov had three assists in Game 2. ...Stamkos has a point in six of his past seven games.